Bed assemblies are well known in which a bed mattress is supported on a base. Common bed mattresses include spring mattresses, foam mattresses of foamed plastic material, air mattresses having an inflatable air bladder, and hybrid waterbed mattresses. Hybrid waterbed mattresses have the appearance of known spring mattresses but contain a fluid-filled bladder.
Bases for beds include well known box springs as well as more rigid base constructions commonly used with foam mattresses and made entirely out of wood.
Known bed bases suffer the disadvantage that they can not be collapsed and accordingly occupy a disadvantageously large amount of space in shipping and storage.
Knock-down constructions for furniture are known. Many knock-down constructions suffer the disadvantage that they can not be assembled or disassembled without the assistance of tools.
Bases for foam bed mattresses frequently incorporate rigid frame members made for example of wood planking. Such planking suffers the disadvantage, particularly at the corners of the base, of providing hard edges which are easily bumped when walking about a bed causing discomfort. Most known protective corner bumpers suffer the disadvantage of either not providing adequate protection or not being adaptable for a collapsible construction.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,057,862 to LaBianco teaches a hybrid waterbed construction. LaBianco's construction suffers the disadvantage that neither the bed base nor the hybrid waterbed mattress can be readily collapsed. In LaBianco, the structure providing peripheral support to the waterbed bladder is in the form of an integral frame which requires the use of tools for assembly.